Opinion:
¶ “No New Oil And Gas Leasing! Hearing On Climate And Offshore Drilling” • In a House Committee hearing, committee members focused on the connection between offshore drilling in the Gulf of Mexico and US climate goals. This much is clear: continuing offshore oil and gas leasing as usual will not help us meet our climate goals. [CleanTechnica]
Offshore oil rig (Arvind Vallabh, Unsplash)
¶ “When Will The US Tap Its Massive Geothermal Energy Potential?” • As governments turn their backs on fossil fuels, many appear to be focused almost solely on wind and solar power. The US geothermal industry is finally gaining some momentum, but will it attract the investment and support it needs to fully develop? [Oil Price]
Science and Technology:
¶ “How Coronavirus Lockdowns May Have Led To Less Lightning In 2020” • Global lightning activity decreased nearly 8% in 2020 amid lockdowns triggered by the pandemic. Scientists who worked on the study discovered a potential cause for this drop in lightning activity: a decrease in atmospheric aerosols, tiny particles of air pollution. [CNN]
Lightning (Felix Mittermeier, Unsplash)
¶ “New Paper Shows: ‘A Win On Climate Is A Win For Health'” • From ramping up clean electricity to eliminating food waste, from designing cities for walking and biking to preserving ecosystems, projects that lead to a low-carbon society and limit climate change will have more and greater benefits for health than previously realized. [CleanTechnica]
World:
¶ “Plugin Electric Vehicles Get 21% Share Of Auto Market In Another Record Month In China” • Plugin vehicles in China once again ended the year with a record month, growing by 125% year over year in December to 502,000 units. Battery EVs were responsible for 83% of the plugin market in the month, slightly above the year’s 81% average. [CleanTechnica]
Wuling Hongguang Mini EV Cabrio
(JustAnotherCarDesigner, CC-BY-SA 4.0)
¶ “EU Climate Chief Wants Renewables To Stop Making Putin ‘Rich'” • European Union climate chief Frans Timmermans called on member states to increase investment in renewable energy and eventually wean the continent off Russian gas. The threat of a Ukrainian invasion is also giving rise to fears that gas prices could spiral even higher. [Financial Post]
¶ “Asia’s Emissions-Reduction Plan For The World” • At COP26 last year, the Asian Development Bank and the Indonesian and Philippine governments announced a pilot Energy Transition Mechanism. Now they are engaging others in the equitable, just, scalable, and affordable energy initiative to retire or repurpose coal-fired power plants. [The Jakarta Post]
Coal plant (Marcin Jozwiak, Pexels)
¶ “Japan’s Tepco Hit By Setback In Clean-Up Of Crippled Fukushima Nuclear Plant” • TEPCO has found that a coolant solution, which is used to create an ice wall halting the seepage of groundwater into Fukushima reactor buildings, leaked from two storage tanks. The leaks underscore the unpredictable challenges in the clean-up of the site. [Devdiscourse]
¶ “Foreign Ministers Of Iran And Russia Discuss New Nuclear Plant Construction” • Russian and Iranian officials met to discuss the construction of new nuclear plants in Iran, Tehran’s foreign minister said. He said Moscow and Tehran would instate a period of “excellent cooperation”, according to a report published by the Anadolu news agency. [The New Arab]
Presidential event at the Bushehr Nuclear
Plant (Hossein Heidarpour, CC-BY-SA 4.0)
US:
¶ “Over 450 Climate Scientists Say Advertising Industry Must End ‘Complicity’ In Climate Crisis” • A group of more than 450 scientists called on advertising agencies to cut off their fossil fuel clients and to end their ties with an ongoing misinformation campaign that has time and again killed progress on addressing the climate crisis. [NationofChange]
¶ “‘Surreal’ January Wildfire Shuts California Highway” • An unseasonal wildfire is raging on California’s Big Sur Pacific coast, forcing evacuations and closing Highway 1, US officials say. The National Weather Service reported a “surreal fire behaviour given the wet Oct and Dec.” It is called the Colorado Fire, and it has burned about 1,500 acres (607 ha). [BBC]
Area of the Colorado Fire (Spencer Davis, Unsplash)
¶ “Renewables To Make Up 18% Of Appalachian State’s Purchased Electricity In 2022” • In North Carolina, Hydroelectric and solar power purchases will increase Appalachian State University’s percentage of electricity supplied from renewables from 2% to 18% in early 2022. The university’s utility will buy electricity from Carolina Power Partners. [Watauga Democrat]
¶ “Indigo Introduces New EVs For Rideshare And Delivery” • Indigo Technologies introduced two new EV designs targeting the rideshare and delivery markets at the recent Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. The company describes itself as an OEM that is delivering a new class of smooth, roomy, and affordable EVs. [CleanTechnica]
Indigo Technologies EV (Indigo Technologies image)
¶ “$80 Million Renewable Landfill Gas Plant Construction To Start Soon” • Energy company EDL is poised to begin building a roughly $80 million landfill gas processing plant on the east side of Oberlin, Ohio, in the next few weeks, city Planning and Development Director Carrie Handy said. Its product gas will be cleaned and sold. [Chronicle Telegram]
¶ “Maryland Gives Itself B-Minus For Adapting To Climate Change In Coastal Areas” • Maryland has over 3,000 miles of shoreline, and climate change has already had a devastating impact on its coastal communities. Groups from the University of Maryland and the state just released a report card on its adaption status. It got a B-minus. [WTOP]
Have a downright upbeat day.
geoharvey 
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